In sailboat racing, the start line may be very crowded with boats vying for the most advantageous starting positions. The race starts at a precise start time that indicates when boats may cross a starting line. Crossing the starting line before this time will result in penalties, while crossing the starting line after this time will place the sailor behind in the race.
In other watersports, such as fishing, for example, boats need to cross a boundary line upon expiration of some time period. Crossing the boundary line before it is necessary to do so may result in less fish being caught, while crossing the boundary line too late may disqualify or penalize a competitor.
To provide assistance in crossing such boundary lines, conventional products may display the distance from the boundary line and a time indicating when the boat needs to cross the boundary line. But determining whether the boat is maintaining the proper speed and, in the case of sailboats, the correct tacking angle, requires complex and time consuming manual calculations. As a result, current devices that provide navigational guidance for boats in such scenarios have several drawbacks.